Fence stretcher



i aya a itt il@ tarta s i. i

CHARLES BAGUE, OF HOT SPRNGS, ARKANSAS.

FENCE STRETOER.

Application filed August 25, 1921. Serial llo. 495,197.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES Has-Un, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hot Springs, in thc county of Garland and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Fence Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

rIhis invention relates to stretchers especially designed for use in connection with wire fabric fences so that they can be pulled taut and held and thus properly secured te the posts of the fences.

Another object is to provide a simple and compact structure which can be operated by hand without requiring excessive exertion.

Another object is to provide a stretcher of this character which can be readily collapsed when not in use, can be easily adjusted, and will not easily get out of order.

lith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of c-onstruction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the prer ferred form of the invention has been shown.

in said drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the stretcher in use.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the operating mechanism viewed at right angles to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3 3, Fig- Y ure 1.

Figure l is a section on line 4 4, Figure 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a bar constituting` one end of the stretcher, this bar being provided near its ends with eye bolts 2 to which are secured the ends of a chain 3 or the like adapted to be suitably fastened, as shown at 4, to a fence post P. i

Bolted or otherwise secured to the ends of the bar 1 are parallel guide strips 5 each of which has a longitudinal series of apertures 6. A fixed cross head 7 is provided with forked ends 8 which straddle the respective strips 5 and are held against movement along said strips and away from the bar 1 by stop pins 8 which are inserted into certain of the openings 6. A bushing 9 is mounted within the central portion of the bar 'i' and constitutes a bearing for one end portion of a feed screw 10, this screw being swiveled within the lnishing or 'being held in any other suitable manner against longitudinal movement relative tc the bushing. A bracket 11 is fastened to the cross head 7 and mounted on the feed screw between this bracket 11 and the cross head is a gear 12 adapted to rotate with the feed screw. `An operating shaft 13 is journaled in the cross head 7 and the bracket 11 and has a crank arm 14 or the like whereby it can be rotated readily. A train of gears 15 is employed fer transmitting motion from this shaft 13 to l the gear 12, these gears increasing in size so as to give increased to the screw 10.

A movable cross head 16 is slidably on and power from shaft 13 `straddles the strips 5 and'is provided at its center with a nut 17 engaged by the feed screw 10. rlhus it will be seen that by rotating` the feed screw the movable cross head 16 can be shifted toward vor from the cross head or bar 7.

A clamping bar 18 formed of parallel strips indicated at 19 in Figure 1 is slidably mounted at its ends on the strips 5 and has bolts 2O connecting1 the strips so that when .one end of a wire fabric'is inserted between the strips 19 these bolts 2O can be tightened so as to clamp the strips upon the fabric. Eye screws or the like are fastened to one of the strips 19 as shown at 21 and similar eye screws 22 or the like are fastened to the cross head 16. Coupling links or rods 23 connect the eye screws 21 and Q2 so that motion will be transmitted to the clamping bar 18 from the cross head 16.

Coiled springs 241 may be attached to the end portions of one of the strips 19 and can also be fastened to a fence post P. Thus it will be seen that during the application of the stretcher to a fence fabric the said stretcher can be yieldingly supported in operative position between two posts by the springs 211 and the chain 3. When the bar 18 is applied to the fence fabric F it is preferably located between the free ends of the strips 5 and the cross heads .7 and 16 are located as far apart as permissible. The cross head 7 is held against movement toward the head 16 by the pins 8. After the bar 18 has been applied properly to the fence fabric the gears are rotated by means of crank 14 and the feed screw 10 will thus draw the cross head 16 toward the cross head i' and cause the rods to pull on bar 18 and the fabric attached thereto. The fabric will thus be stretched evenly and while held can be fastened to those posts past which vit extends.

When the apparatus is not in use the clampingv bar 1S and the cross heads 7 and 16 can be removed from the strips 5 and said strips can be detached from the ends of the bar 1. Thus the entire structure can be stored in a small space.

It will be understood that during,- the stretching operation the supporting;` springs 24: will yield to permit the bar 18 to more under the action of the feed screw l0.

Under some conditions the springs 2Lican be dispensed with if so desired.

That is claimed is l. device of the class described including connected guide strips, means for anchoring them to a tence post, a normally stationary cross head adjustably mounted ou the guide strips, a feed screw supported thereby, power multiplying means carried by said cross head for actuatingy the feed screw, a movable cross head mounted on the guide strips for actuation by the feed screw, means slidable on the guide strips for engaging a fence fabric, and a connection between said means and the movable cross head .in a device of the alass described the combination with connected guide strips and means for anchoring the same to a fence post, of a cross head straddling the respective guide strips, means for holding` the cross head adjustably to the strips, a feed screw carried b y the cross head, power multiplyingmeans upon the cross head for actuating the feed screw, a cross head engaged and actuated by the feed screw and slidably mounted on the guide strips, a clamping` bar slidably engaging the guide strips for attachment to a fence fabric, connections between the clamping' bar and the movable cross head, and yieldable means for connecting,` the clamping bar to a fence post to support the guide strips at one end, said yielding)` means being expansible by the movement of the clamping` bar during the stretch- ,ing of a fence fabric.

in testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES HAGUE.

'Witnesses G. S, MILES, `W. C. COLE. 

